Just when you thought classic tarte tatin could get no lovelier, here comes fig tarte tatin.
This fig tarte tatin is a lovely early fall version of the classic French apple tarte Tatin desset. Tender figs are cooked in a cinnamon-scented caramel sauce and baked beneath buttery puff pastry than flipped over for a finished dessert so spectacular we can’t help wishing fig season lasted a whole lot longer.–Angie Zoobkoff
From the Grill to the Oven Note
We fell so in love with this recipe that we adapted it from its original incarnation, which tells how to make the tarte tatin on the grill, to the oven method that you’ll find below. We think it may just make the lovely and clever dessert more manageable to make for those of you who, like us, are a little more comfortable in the kitchen.
Fig Tarte Tatin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet 1 sheet store-bought or homemade puff pastry
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter (1/2 ounce/14 grams), thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup dark muscovado (brown) sugar (65 grams)
- 6 black figs (about 12 ounces or 340 grams), cut in half
- 1 cinnamon stick (about 10 cm long)
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon, preferably organic (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 large egg, preferably free-range, lightly beaten
- Store-bought or homemade cinnamon gelato, to serve (optional)
Directions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 2. On a sheet of baking paper, roll out the puff pastry into a rough circle, if you can, that’s about 11-inches (28-cm) in diameter and 1/8-inch (3-mm) thick. Prick the pastry all over with a fork, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 3. In a shallow 10-inch (25-cm) oven-safe nonstick or cast iron skillet, lay the slices of butter evenly and sprinkle with the sugar. Arrange the figs on top, cut-side down, pressing them down a little so they’re snug in the pan. Tuck the cinnamon stick among the figs and sprinkle the lemon zest over everything.
- 4. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and cook until the sugar has turned a deep caramel color and the juices have just started to ooze from the figs, 5 to 9 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before gently placing the pastry on top of the figs. Tuck the edges of the pastry down between the sides of the skillet and the figs, then brush the top with the beaten egg. Return to the oven and bake until the pastry is crisp and deep golden brown, 15 to 30 minutes.
- 5. Let everything cool for 5 minutes before holding a plate or cake stand against the skillet and carefully flipping the tart out onto a plate. If a fig or two gets left behind in the sticky caramel, simply gently scrape them off the skillet and nudge them back onto the tart. Serve warm.
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Helena Pereira
Oct 06, 2017
This fig tarte tatin is so delicious! Like any tarte tatin, it’s easy to make and the final twist is given by the fruits you choose to add. In this recipe, the caramelized figs are a must, since right now the figs are at their best flavor. The touch of cinnamon gives it a rich, warm, complex flavor. Ideal with ice cream.